Page 92 of The Forever Play

“Heads,” I call, eyeballing the tight end captain while the coin flips through the air.

“Heads it is.” The referee points at me. “Your call.”

“We’ll receive.” I nod.

“We’ll defend this goal.” The Kings’ captain points over my shoulder before we both run back to our respective teams.

I grin up into the stands because I can’t fucking help myself.

“Donohue!” My eyes snap to our offensive coach, and I force myself to concentrate as Coach Jones gives us a quick pep talk, then sends the receiving team onto the field.

I hold my breath the way I always do, waiting for Mathers to catch the ball and make some ground.

“Yes!” Wily shouts as Mathers snatches the ball and starts running. “Go, go, go!”

Thanks to a key block from Michelson, Mathers makes a good thirty yards before being tackled, positioning us beautifully for the first play.

“Just like we planned.” Coach Jones slaps me on the back, pushing me out for the first offensive play.

I glance over my shoulder, quickly finding Sienna. She’s talking to Teah, smiling and laughing, and fuck… it’s so good to see her here.

Memories from last night flood me as I form a quickhuddle with my team and remind them of the first play strategy we’ve been practicing all week.

“Okay, Carson, Flash, we’re doing a hook and ladder. Watch their cornerback, he was fucking fast in his last game.”

“We’re good,” Grady assures me, sharing a quick glance with Carson before we break and get into position.

My heart is thrumming the way it always does when I set up for the first play, but it’s so much louder today because Sienna is crowding out my game space. Her sweet moans are filling my ears, the feel of her body sliding against mine. Her perfect tits. Shit, I love her body. And those eyes.

I force myself not to look into the stands, but it’s taking maximum effort.

Eyeing up the defensive line, I check their set position and am confident we’re in the clear to pull off our play without adjustments. The crowd is roaring for us, eager for points on the board, and I do my best to block them out.

“Hut hut,” I call to Tyrell, who fires the ball back to me.

I catch it and take a few steps, tracking Carson until he’s in the perfect position, then throwing the ball to him.

He snatches it out of the air, then spins and snaps it to Grady, who takes the pass and ducks through the gap we predicted would be there. He gains a sweet twenty yards or so before being taken down, and I start clapping as I move up the field.

“Yes! Good job. Good job!”

I’m so stoked with the execution. I want to play well for my girls. I want to show Sienna how fucking hard I’vebeen working. She needs to know that I didn’t just give her up for nothing.

Except you did freshman year.

But I’m making up for it now.

Glancing over my shoulder, I scan the stands for her yet again, spotting her blue sweater and waving at Zoey. Sienna points my way, and Zoey starts waving. I want to blow them another kiss, but someone’s barking at me.

“Zander!” I spin and spot Tyrell beckoning me with his hands. “Let’s go, man.”

He looks mildly annoyed, and I shake my head and give myself a quick reprimand.

Dude! Focus the fuck up!

I wince, slapping my helmet and running over for the next play… which I completely fuck up because just before the ball is snapped to me, I’m flooded with an image of Sienna naked on her bed and covered in Nerds. It was the sexiest fucking thing, and my body ignites in all the wrong places as I nearly drop the fucking ball, then mistime my step back and make the worst fucking throw of my life.

Grady scrambles to rectify my mistake, but he can’t jump high enough to reach the ball, and it ends up landing right in the hands of the Kings’ cornerback.

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